Barbed wire.



PATENTED MAY 14-, 1907.

WITNESSES:

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DATUS C. SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BARBED WIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May In, 1907.

Original application filed March 9,1 901, Serial No- 50,49'7. Divided and this application filed March 10, 1904. Serial No. 19 7.460.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DATUS C. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Barbed Wires; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its objects the pro duction of a practical barbed-wire from a single strand, thereby effecting an important saving of material.

On account of the imperfections of prior single-strand barbed-wires, this variety of wire has been largely abandoned and doublestrand wire has been generally resorted to by the manufacturers, principally for the purposes of keeping the barbs fixed and securing elasticity of the strand anddifferent angles of the barbs by twisting the two wires together. Such double-strand barbed-wire practically supplies the market today. But obviously, single-strand wire, if it could be made in satisfactory condition, would be far preferable, owing to its lesser cost and trouble of manufacture, lighter weight, and especially economy of material used in its production not attainable in making doublestrand wire, since the latter cannot well be made from lighter wires than now in use. It seems impracticable to reduce the size of the 1 two strands composing such present ordinary barbed-wire; yet a single-strand wire with much less material gives ample strength.

Besides this, a substantial saving is effected in the drawing of one wire instead of two smaller ones, and in handling and shipping the lighter coils of finished barbed-wire.

Many attempts have been made to roduce satisfactory single-strand wire wit fixed barbs, but in every case with the fatal neglect to provide suitable elasticity in the wire, which elasticity is indispensable in a fencewire; and generally if not always byfatally injuring the strand if the barbs have been rigidly fixed thereon. So true is this that not one of those wires, so far as I am aware, has survived.

Although the desirability of elasticity in all fencewires is well known, the common barbed-wire, even of the double-strand sort, has not enough elasticity to withstand fully the adverse influences of heat and cold. Not only is elasticity desired on this account, but also to prevent stretching and sagging of the wire or drawing the corner fence-posts out of position.

Elastic single-strand fence-wires without barbs are well known and in extensive use. But such use is confined wholly to fabricfencing or fencing wherein the strands are bound together with stays or other devices.

It is impossible to restrain stock with smooth wires run singly, as barbed-wires are used. It is equally impracticable to use in that manner non-elastic single-strand wires even if they are barbed. In the latter case, occasional contact of the stock and varying temperatures are sure either to stretch the Wire permanently, or draw in the cornerposts, or both, and in the end leave the wire sagging between the posts. These facts are now well understood and everywhere accepted. Now I propose to improve the single-strand elastic fence-wire by adding to it rigidly fixed barbs, highly practicable both to manufacture and in use. No elastic single-strand. barbed-wire with fixed barbs, so

far as I am aware, has ever been devised.-

Elastic single-strand wires have been shown carrying loose barbs, with no provision to hold them in place, which barbs, therefore, were, obviously, no barbs in effect. Other single-strand wires have had fixed barbs attached to kinks in the wires. But to hold the barbs was the express purpose of those kinks, and it is evident that the kinks could not be elastic and yet short and rigid, which latter features would be required to keep the barbs from turning.

My present invention consists of a practical elastic fence wire, coiled. or' waved throughout its length, or at intervals, varie ously bent to produce such elasticity, flattened or compressed at intervals and having the barbs tightly and securely wound or coiled around its flattened spaces.

The desired elasticity may be imparted to the strand-wire by giving it the form of an open extended coil, or waves, or bends; however I much prefer the form coiled throughout its length.

In the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a part of this specification, a desirable form of my improved. barbed-wire is illustrated.

Figures 1 and 2 represent different eleva- ITO tions of a finished barbed-wire, and Figs. 3 and 4 show different elevations of a flattened strand before the barbs are applied.

The coiled or waved strand-wire a is shown flattened at intervals, as indicated at b, and around these flattened portions the barbs c are securely and tightly wound. The barbs are thus held rigidly against turning as well as against longitudinal movement along the strand, by reason of the contours of the flats and the lateral swells or protuberances afforded thereby.

The flats may be of various forms. In. the present instance, they are shown oval or bulbous, when viewed in their broader dimensions. Here they are produced by flattening the wire at opposite sides, though the flattening could be eflected. at one or more sides.

Other forms of flats are represented in my prior application for patent, for barbedwire, filed March 9, 190], Serial No. 50,407, of which the present application is a division.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A single-strand elastic barbed wire comprising a strand having a [0].111 other than straight and flattened at intervals and having wire barbs coiled fixedly around its flattened portions.

2. An elastic barbed fence-wire comprising a single strand, coiled throughout its length in elongated convolutions ol relativel small diameter, and flattened at intervals, and provided with wire barbs coiled lixedlv around its flattened portions.

In. testimonywhereof il aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

Vitnesses:

WILLIAM ll. llonicnirson, EDWARD A. Ewen 

